Diving Bell
by DemonStripper
Summary: Sanguine stained the floor of the boat, dark as it puddled around the mortal and immortal alike. If it was blood of the deceased or of the loyal butler, both were unsure. It seemed not to bother Sebastian, though it could be argued that he had bigger things to worry about, like the sweeping wound carved into his chest. The thought was just one of many plaguing his master. Campania.


**For the incredible theotakufairy! You are an amazing friend, my inspiration, a headcanon genius, and the devil on my shoulder that whispers in my ear and coerces me to actually write! Thank you so much for giving me this idea and for listening to my incessant gushing about post-Campania headcanons! I really hope you enjoy it! 3**

**Story songs: Diving Bell - Starset, Follow You - Bring Me The Horizon, & Castle or Glass - Linkin Park**

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As the sun began to rise over the Atlantic Ocean, all was calm for the first time since dusk. The air was pungent with the sickening miasma of rotting corpses, the softly swaying waves tainted a murky crimson from the blood of the fallen dolls. Decapitated heads floated about the seas surrounding them, limbs and organs scattered hopelessly in an endless mandala pattern.

Sunken remains of a once magnificent ship faded into the darkest depths of the liquid sapphire, the Campania's hull splintered and crumbling to pieces as if it were a poorly made scone. Many of its passengers had fallen alongside the magnificent vessel, but some had escaped, littering the horizon with idle lifeboats awaiting their saving grace. Their savior came in the form of a significantly smaller ship than the one they previously occupied, shining a glorious white in the distance. On any other day, it would have been painfully bright, but after the ordeal the survivors had endured, it now seemed as captivating as heaven's light.

However, to the two survivors floating in a lone boat far from the rest of the fleet, paradise was far from their view no matter if it were taken in a figurative or literal form. The rocking of the miniscule watercraft alongside the vile stench of salt and death in the air set off a deep seeded anxiety within the chests of the master and butler pair perched within its wooden frame.

Sanguine stained the floor of the boat, thick and dark as it puddled around the mortal and immortal alike. Though if it was the blood of the deceased or of the ever-loyal butler, both were unsure. The thought seemed not to bother Sebastian, though it could easily be argued that he had bigger things to worry about, such as the still weeping wound carved deep into his chest. But the thought was just one of many plaguing his master.

His eyes refused to stray from the ailment marring Sebastian's normally flawless chest. In this light, he could easily make out the sticky shreds of his shirt clinging valiantly to the injury that brought him to his knees. The tattered fabric was stained the same ruby as his eyes, though they currently appeared dull, lacking in their usual hellfire and red velvet richness.

The boy's own leg throbbed unmercifully from his earlier fall and his lungs ached with every raw inhale and exhale he took, exhaustion weighing him down as his small form shivered violently despite the thick coat draped around his shoulders. The ebony fabric once smelt of Sebastian, his alluring aroma of clove and cinnamon greeting his every breath with a lulling sense of tranquility, but now it carried the stinging scent of the sea, diffusing the comforting effect it was meant to have. His head pulsated dully, some odd mixture of an adrenaline crash as well as the stress of the situation blending together into an oncoming migraine. He couldn't bring himself to care much about any of that though, not with his butler's, or rather lover's, current health.

Even with the crashing of waves and squaking of seagulls from far off, it wasn't hard to hear the ragged, labored breaths falling from Sebastian's chapped and parted lips. His cheeks were even paler than usual and beneath his eyes lied circles so dark that they could easily rival the charcoal of his waistcoat. Tremors, while faint, ran rampant throughout the demon's wilted form, growing worse with every strained cough that would fall from his lips as his eyes met the pink and gold light of the rising sun.

The landscape seemed too cheerful for their current situation, injured and exhausted, stranded in the middle of the ocean with nothing more than each other's presence the the promise of rest and warmth once they returned to the manor; That is if the rescue ship's crew was able to spot them in the first place. The sky's far reaches were beginning to fade into a pale blue and sparse clouds dotted the otherwise clear view, but all Ciel could see was red.

Spilling out from Sebastian's chest as he was pierced by Undertaker's scythe, the crimson life essence had painted the floor and his own clothing with damp spatters and languid drips, the proof remaining at the corners of his striped waistcoat and the tailcoat and hugged around his chest. The fear he felt in that moment was immeasurable, it was a deep-rooted panic that he had felt only one other time in his life-When his family was stolen from him and he was cast from his emptiness and despair into the arms of the devil.

His heart was thudding harshly in his ears and his throat, his hands reaching out more desperately than they ever had before in an attempt to cling to that of his lover. Whenever he was caught in those strong arms, he had felt nothing but relief until Sebastian's eyes fell closed upon impact. Perhaps that is where his sanity had begun to slip. Franticness took the place of simple concern and anxiety, and when he shook the man and screamed his name, he was breathless, frozen in place by the sheer foreboding filling him from head to toe. If Sebastian wouldn't have opened his eyes, if he wouldn't have spoken or risen again... What would he have done then? The contract would be nullified, his revenge unattainable, and the one being who protected, cared for, and loved him would be gone. What would be left then? With both his goal and his sole light-as ironic as it may sound-gone, there would be no one left for him to cling to and no reason to go on.

Swallowing thickly, his eyes raised to the profile of said man, watching closely for any signs that his state was deteriorating further, blindly searching the empty boat for anything that he could use to help him. To his disappointment, he found nothing that could reduce Sebastian's suffering.

Able to feel the heavy gaze of his master weighing down on him, Sebastian turned to face the possessor of such haunted eyes, frown deepening at the sight that greeted him. Ciel looked as horrible as he himself felt. His hair was matted and frozen from his earlier plunge beneath the icy depths and his wobbling lips were fading into a faint blue, the chattering of his teeth audible despite the steely set of his jaw. His mismatched orbs were hazy and unstable, terrified yet melancholy all at once. His expression betrayed not an ounce of emotion aside of an uneasy worry, but the crease betwixt his eyebrows said all he needed to know about the boy's current emotional state.

He was weary, afraid, forlorn, angry, and grief-stricken all at once.

The fingers of his right hand tapped unevenly against his bare knees, an occasional wince making itself known when he prodded too hard and felt it further down his left leg where it was scraped and swollen beneath the leather of his ruined boots.

Sebastian's eyes softened as Ciel heaved a stuttering sigh, their eyes meeting in a prolonged stare. His heartbeat was slower than usual, something causing the immortal great distress alongside the earl's rattled breaths and slowly increasing wheezes. He needed to be out of the elements as soon as possible and wrapped in layers upon layers of blankets, with a hot cup of tea in his hands and a stew to help warm him. He was already falling ill whether he realized it or not, but in his current state and under his beloved's strict orders to rest upon returning home, the butler feared there was little he could do on the matter apart from guiding the servants from his bedchambers. He only hoped they would be competent long enough to avoid setting the kitchen afire until he was fit to rebuild it once more.

Ciel's lips parted, puffs of grey following his exhales as their heat met the cold air, but he didn't speak a word. His thoughts were racing and his head was pounding, body buzzing with anxiety and a need for rest that ran bone-deep, but he didn't let that stop him from sluggishly pulling Sebastian's coat from where it resided on his shoulders.

Sebastian's eyes widened as he saw the boy remove one of the few layers of clothing providing him solace from the frigid temperatures, thinking him either mad or delirious as bare hands reached out in a haste to secure it over the tiny frame once more. The grunt of displeasure and the fireless glare Ciel sent, however, was enough for him to retreat until he had time to see what the little mortal was up to. "I'm fine. Just remain still for a moment," The boy rasped, muffling a hoarse cough into his shoulder before balling up the thick fabric in his hands. "We need to stop the bleeding," He explained quickly, using that moment to press the onyx fabric against the gaping hole in Sebastian's chest.

The hiss of pain he received sent new shocks of upset and rage coursing through Ciel's veins. How dare that damn shinigami do this to him! Sebastian was his, and he was Sebastian's. If that lunatic thought he could split them so easily then he would pay the price upon their next meeting!

But that was just it, wasn't it?

Anymore blows and he would've taken Sebastian from him, and the worst part was that it would be his fault. The rabid death god was after him to begin with, Sebastian was a mere obstacle in his path. It was a fact he couldn't seem to push to the back of his mind, but one he longed fervently to dismiss. There was already too much to deal with at the moment without adding 'what ifs?' to the mix, but the thought was stubborn and refused to be shaken off with logic. Sebastian was right here beside him, and while he was injured, he was still alive and breathing. His brain seemed to think that it was the perfect time to project all of his fears into this one moment though, threatening to crush him beneath their unrelenting weight and suffocate him as he ocean had tried to hours ago.

It felt like the waves beneath them resided in his stomach, its coiling and rocking making him nauseous as it swayed inside him and caused his throat to constrict.

The makeshift tourniquet was saturated with amaranth and by the pinched expression upon his usually smirking features, he could tell that Sebastian's pain was excruciating at best. Still his manservant kept his eyes locked on his face, obsidian nails scraping tenderly against his jaw when he raised his hand. "Young master, it is too cold for you to be this exposed. If I may..." WIthout waiting for any verbal form of consent, he pulled the most likely hypothermic mortal into his arms, tugging him as close to his side as possible to share his warmth. "While I thank you for your sacrifice, it isn't wise to give up any source of heat right now. Fret not, my darling, I will be perfectly fine. Just focus on staying awake for now."

With a hushed sniffle, the earl's free hand curled into the rumpled fabric at his lover's back, latching onto it with a greedy yearning for comfort and reassurance. Despite the sting with every slight twitch or movement, Sebastian rubbed his back in slow, soothing circles,s encouraging him to relax against him whilst the coat remained firmly against his breast and abdomen to stifle the bloodshed.

The younger male's teeth clenched when a groan passed unbidden from Sebastian's bloodied lips, causing Ciel to loosen his grip on him in fear that he was too rough and ailed him further, but the insistent tug on his waist when he made an attempt to pull away had him settling back in with his eyes cast to the damp floor of the lifeboat. His eyelids fluttered, once, twice, three times before he felt Sebastian's nose and warm lips prod his chilled temple. "Don't, Ciel. Stay with me."

The use of his name went unmentioned as his lashes continued to shake with his movements, though they never fell shut in the sleep that Sebastian feared he would relent to. His chest tightened as if something were sitting atop it and his breaths caught in his throat, the hand on Sebastian's chest holding steady while his other limply fell from the small of his beloved back. His head felt like it was stuffed full of cotton, dulling all senses but the poignant pain brimming in his core and threatening to spill over into an endless cascade of misery and despondency.

There was no way for Sebastian to sense his impending emotional response to the night's events, nor did he expect him to react much apart from how he already had seeing as their succor was in sight, just on the horizon as Campania passengers were loaded from rickety boats into the new vessel. But given the circumstances, he scolded himself for not having seen it coming the second a tortured sob fell from Ciel's lips. He himself had been livid and greatly alarmed upon seeing the reaper's scythe curled ominously around Ciel seconds before he knowingly risked his own existence for his human's; It was the first real time he had ever felt fear, and he knew that somewhere inside him, that horrible feeling would never truly disappear entirely, resurfacing whenever some dangerous entity attempted to harm him. So for Ciel, having grown used to this feeling in the past from the many loses he had suffered in his short time in this world, this surely burned itself into his soul along with the memories already plaguing him every night as he slumbered. He was just as afraid of losing Sebastian as the demon was of losing him, and it both strengthened their bond and made them more aware of their shared mortality in such situations. But to see his master, so proud and strong, breaking this way... It left his heart in shambles in a way that he never knew was possible. If there was a time that he expected to see his lord crumble, it was after the incident at the circus. He knew it had reawakened old traumas and reopened partially healed scars, but even then, aside from the boy's silent signs of distress, reoccurring nightmares, and requests that he remain beside him every night without fail, nothing of this sort had happened. It was as if he was mourning a loss that didn't exist.

A shudder coursed through the young earl's body as he lurched forward, head bowed to hide his reluctant tears. His arm drifted from Sebastian's spine to cover his mouth in an attempt to muffle a loud weep, his fear and pain seeping out in cascades upon his cheeks, streaking his pinkened skin and already drenched shirt with the proof of his agony. Still he held fast to the wound he wished to aid in healing, missing the moment in which crimson ceased to further soil the torn obsidian fabric. He didn't flinch when one of Sebastian's hands seized his own to remove the fabric from his injury nor when his palm was parted from his lips to let his wails sound without hindrance or judgment. Careful not to move too quickly and worsen the stinging in his chest or further upset his human, Sebastian gently pulled Ciel onto his lap. He internally cringed at the coolness of the body balancing upon his own, trying his best to comfort and warm him at the same time. The fogginess of his own mind was beginning to concern him. He would be fine, but even as a devil rest was required to heal and replenish. His eyelids were heavy and his limbs equally so, weighed down as if they were made of lead. They were nearly impossible to move under such circumstances, but he managed to stretch them out in front of himself to accommodate the hunched position of his lover. He guided his head to lean against his shoulder and pressed lingering kisses to his forehead and cheeks, purring deeply to relax his stiff form. He was determined to bring him solace by any method available to him whilst stranded. "Shh... It's okay, you're okay, darling. We're safe, it's all over now. Your family is okay, as is Snake. I promise things won't look so bleak once we're home."

If anything, his words only made Ciel cry harder, his chest heaving rapidly as he fought for breath around his gut-wrenching whines. "But you aren't okay, Sebastian, and that's my fault! You almost died! If he would have caught you again... If we wouldn't have been able to escape... You..." His words were halted by a powerful cough, causing him to double over with a pant while Sebastian kept him from tumbling forward onto the floor of the boat with a protective arm wrapped around his chest.

Sebastian grit his teeth and narrowed his smoldering eyes when the ache in his wound flared alongside his contract mark, alerting him to his master's decline in health as if he hadn't already been aware of it. He took a deep breath to settle the stabbing pain tearing through him, slumping against his will if only to minimize its effect. Without releasing Ciel when he was able to regain his breath and press back into the demon's side, he stroked the younger man's chilled cheek with a sigh. "But I didn't die, and we did make it out. It will take but a few days and I'll be as good as new; The injuries you sustained will take far longer that my own. No matter how life-threatening this may seem, you must remember what I am. I have had far worse than this, it has been centuries since that has happened however. Do not blame yourself for this though, it is that mad reaper's fault, not your own. I would do anything for you, young master. Regardless of how it may turn out for me, I would go to the end of this world and the next to keep you safe..."

Finally, Ciel moved, and was quick to return Sebastian's embrace. "Even if I don't say it enough, I love you, Sebastian. If I were you lose you..." He broke off from his panicked tone when his demon's lips captured his own, the kiss deep and needy with their shared devotion and disquiet. Sebastian's lips tasted metallic from his blood and salty from the sea, but buried beneath the layers of bitterness tainting his saccharine kiss, he could still catch dredges of the intoxicating flavour that was so very Sebastian. Dark and addicting like blackberries and black currant, sweet like honey, and as rich as dark chocolate. The touch of his lips was pure sin and unadulterated consolation; His only serenity in this chaos they once more found themselves trapped in the midst of. When the immortal pulled away it was with calmness in his cherry orbs, his voice tired but kind when he spoke. "I love you too, Ciel. Please don't fret over such things, I am right here beside you, as I will always be. Now, please try to calm yourself, my darling. I can tell that your breathing is already strained and at this rate, you are going to upset your asthma."

The boy's lip still wobbled and clear droplets continued to fall from his swollen eyes, his nose bright pink from a mixture of his tears and the cold, while quiet whimpers sounded from his throat, but at least he wasn't sobbing so hard that he couldn't breathe anymore. Sebastian wished he had a handkerchief to wipe him clean with, to blot away his tears and the clear liquid dripping from his runny nose, but knowing he had no such item, he used his shirt sleeve to get the job done. The once-pristine fabric cleared away all wetness from the mortal's cheeks though it was quickly replaced by the languid rivers from his beautifully mismatched eyes, but Sebastian remained patient, long fingers on the mass of frozen slate cradling Ciel's head close to his neck while he curled around him in both body and aura.

One of Ciel's palms rested on the uninjured part of his lover's chest, rubbing delicate circles betwixt his left pectoral and collarbone with an exaggerated exhale. The shredded strips of fabric at the collar of Sebastian's dress shirt limply draped across his palm as he laid a peck above the wound, smiling faintly when he noticed Sebastian relax beneath his touch. His butler's arms tightened around him and in return, he threaded a hand through his sable locks. As damp as they were, they still felt silken as they wove between his fingers. In that moment, all was silent save for his lingering sniffles, Sebastian's occasional pained groans, and the crashing of waves in the distance. He was close to falling asleep when Sebastian cupped his cheek sweetly and urged him to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I can't let you sleep until your temperature had risen back to normal." Ciel offered his nod of understanding as he blinked awake, drowsiness remaining when tanzanite-orchid orbs caught the waving of arms from the large vessel nearing them. The rescue boat!

"Sebastian! Look!"

At his partner's insistence, he turned his own poinsettia eyes to the horizon, relief blossoming in his chest upon hearing the calls of the flailing men on the ship. "Ah, at last they have found us." He placed Ciel on the floor of the boat with all the gentleness he could muster, and shakily stood. Ciel grunted and was quick to protest when Sebastian almost doubled over the second he was on his feet, his hand flying to his chest immediately. "I can wave them down, sit back down," He pleaded, only to receive an amused yet fond chortle. "With all due respect, my lord, they will never spot you with how small you are." The jibe earned him a scathing glare, made less heated by the tired set of his shoulders, his petulant pout, and overpowering repose at knowing they were that much closer to returning to the manor. He never thought he could miss home so terribly.

After Ciel's eyepatch was tied back into place, a couple of waves to the ship caught the staff's attention and beckoned them closer; A mere fifteen minutes later, they were safely boarded onto the rescue ship. Tan wool blankets were draped over each of their shoulders before they were ushered to the opposite end of the dock in wait for a cabin; They were to share given the sparse amount of rooms left, leaving them both satisfied with the outcome. They wouldn't be forced to part for the sake of the propriety expected of them. While they were in the eyes of others, Sebastian's hand never left the small of Ciel's back, pretending as if it were there to simply guide him through the crowds and steady him instead of resting there for the reassurance it exuded. The Midfords were nowhere in sight and nor was Snake, leading Ciel to believe that they were already somewhere below the deck. It was all the same though, they were safe, and that was more than enough. He didn't care for the company of others at the moment anyways. Besides that, the panic that would ensue over their poor states would take more explanations that he was willing to give and more lies than he could currently form. "We may sit here until we are assigned a room," He said with a yawn, fatigue flooding his veins anew with the knowledge that they were in a more secure location now and soon to be heading back to shore.

The earl lowered himself onto the wooden planks of the deck with a wince, the movement of the last half hour enough to reignite the pain in his ankle tenfold. Sebastian tenderly lifted his leg after taking his place beside his secret lover, rolling it carefully in regards to his moan before running his fingers along the length of it. "Thankfully, it doesn't feel broken, but it is sprained at the very least. You shall have to rest it as much as possible for at least a month," Sebastian lamented while settling back against the wall behind them. Beneath the thick blankets, their arms were fully out of the other passengers' sights when their hands reached out to grasp one another, long black-tipped fingers intertwining with a smaller, more delicate pair. They would remain that way, huddled close together in a fashion that was perhaps too intimate for a mere butler and his master to assume in public eye, until the time in which they were met by one of the staff with news on their lodgings for the rest of the monotonous journey home. Without considering any consequences that may come of such actions, Ciel allowed his head to fall onto Sebastian's shoulder, eyes drifting shut for the first time in twenty-four hours. This time, with his temperature almost back to normal from the warm blankets and their shared body heat, Sebastian smiled adoringly and allowed him to rest. Inky locks combined with his master's chalcedony ones when he laid his cheek against his lover's own, closing his eyes in faux slumber. It was a long trip home and an even longer recovery, but they were still together, and for now, that was all that truly mattered.


End file.
